If you’re buying or selling in Lake Forest, you may see a reference to the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan (FCPP) in a city record or new-home document. It is a road fee program tied to new development. The city’s Oct 6, 2026 action concerns an agreement on development fee credits and refund requests, with $1,110,472 in payments that the County will fully reimburse.
That total is the payment amount described in the staff report, rather than a price attached to your home purchase.
This is general information and not legal advice.
What is the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan fee?
The Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan fee funds roadway and intersection improvements needed to support development in the foothill area of Orange County.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors established the Road Fee Program in 1987. It identified specific transportation improvements and established fees so new development contributed its proportionate share of those improvements’ cost.
Some participating landowners made significant upfront contributions. They received credits that could be applied against future FCPP fee obligations. Those credits are part of the background to the agreement concerning Portola North.
On July 20, 2010, the County and City entered into an agreement allowing Lake Forest to collect, account for, and use these fees for eligible projects within the city. Lake Forest continues to administer the associated funding and reports fee activity to the County. The Oct 6 staff report provides that program history alongside the payment request.
We were reviewing costs for a Lake Forest development when the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan fee appeared in the estimate. The owner asked why his project was contributing to roads that were not directly in front of the property. We explained how the area’s circulation fee helps fund broader transportation improvements and then checked whether any completed work could qualify for fee credits.
What did the Oct 6 action approve?
The Oct 6 action adopted a budget resolution for $1,110,472 in fee credit payments under an agreement between the County and owners of certain properties within Portola North.
The staff report says the agreement concerns outstanding FCPP fee credits and resolves outstanding fee refund requests. Under it, the County will direct the City to issue the payments from the City’s FCPP Fund.
The payment table identifies the recipients and amounts:
| Recipient | Payment |
|---|---|
| USA Portola West, LLC | $360,087 |
| USA Portola East, LLC | $620,830 |
| SunRanch Capital Partners, LLC | $129,555 |
| Total | $1,110,472 |
The Oct 6 minutes submitted for approval record approval of consent calendar items 4 and 7 by a vote of 5-0. Item 7 records adoption of the resolution amending the 2025-2027 Operating Budget, including revenue estimates and operating appropriations for fiscal year 2026-27.
Status as of Oct 29, 2026: the Oct 6 minutes are in the Oct 20 packet for approval; the Oct 20 outcome is not posted.
Does the agreement establish a charge for your home?
The agreement documents do not say the fee is charged to buyers of existing homes, give a per-unit fee, or explain whether builders pass it to buyers.
You therefore cannot use the $1,110,472 total, or any recipient’s payment, as the amount associated with a particular purchase. Those figures describe payments under the credit and refund agreement.
For a purchase, ask for the document that identifies any claimed charge and explains how it applies to the property. Keep the question specific: is the document discussing a development fee obligation, a participating-landowner credit, or an amount presented in your transaction?
When comparing builder closeouts versus resale, ask for the document supporting any FCPP amount presented for each purchase. The city payment table answers who receives payments under this agreement; your property question requires a document connecting the claimed amount to your transaction.
What do the Portola North tract numbers mean?
The tract numbers identify where the agreement says remaining participating-landowner fee credits may be redeemed for eligible units.
The staff report names Tract Nos. 17826, 17300, and 19138. Its wording matters: property owners “may redeem” the remaining credits for eligible units. That wording does not mean every unit has a credit or that a particular buyer receives one.
Use the tract references as a starting point for a property-specific question. The report does not assign neighborhood names to those tracts or state how many homes they contain. Ask how the property connects to the tract reference before treating the agreement as relevant to a particular unit.
What does reimbursement mean for city funds?
Full County reimbursement means the staff report identifies no net fiscal impact on either the FCPP Fund or the General Fund.
The payment and reimbursement are both part of the agreement. The City issues the $1,110,472 from its FCPP Fund, and the County reimburses the full amount. The budget resolution adjusts revenue estimates and appropriations to account for that action.
The report also treats the action as an administrative and fiscal function that is not a CEQA project. That description concerns the budget action, rather than a construction schedule for the transportation projects.
Nothing in these records says the payments change a homeowner’s taxes or fees, or that a Lake Forest resident pays anything. If you’re asking about Mello-Roos, request the document supporting that question separately; the FCPP payment agreement says nothing about a homeowner tax change.
Which transportation projects does the capital plan list?
The city’s capital plan lists three FCPP-funded projects: Los Alisos/Muirlands intersection improvements, Jeronimo widening at El Toro, and raised medians along El Toro.
The Los Alisos Blvd/Muirlands Blvd Intersection Improvements project, 24T08, includes widening, median modifications and restriping for a second left-turn lane on each of the four approaches. Its sheet describes approximately 7,200 square feet of additional right-of-way, widening the bridge over Aliso Creek, and coordination with the City of Mission Viejo. The FCPP budget line is $3,300,000.
Jeronimo Rd Widening at El Toro Rd, PW2019-08, addresses misaligned through lanes north and south of El Toro. It includes approximately 4,750 square feet of right-of-way, a retaining wall on the northwest corner, and restriping El Toro for an additional left-turn lane in each direction. Its budget line is $405,000.
El Toro Rd Raised Medians from Jeronimo Rd to Trabuco Rd, PW2020-07, replaces painted medians with raised medians. Staff will evaluate planted or stamped concrete medians based upon funding availability. Its total estimate is $940,000.
The city’s capital plan, Item 9 of the Oct 6 packet, shows $4,645,000 for these FCPP projects for FY 2025/26. These figures do not establish construction start dates. All three project sheets identify funding from the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan Capital Projects Fund.
What should you ask about a specific property?
Ask for the property-specific document supporting any FCPP fee or credit reference and an explanation of what that document establishes.
For a claimed credit, ask how the property connects to the named tracts and what makes the unit eligible. Preserve the agreement’s conditional wording when discussing redemption. A reference to remaining credits does not mean redemption has occurred.
For an amount presented as a charge, ask what obligation it represents and where that obligation is documented. Keep that document alongside the explanation of how the amount applies to the property.
For a question about Lake Forest home permit fees, ask for the relevant permit documentation rather than using the FCPP payment table to explain the charge. To locate the FCPP public record, use the city’s agendas and minutes page and look for the Oct 6 packet and the minutes submitted in the Oct 20 packet.
The short version
The FCPP is a development road fee program, and the Oct 6 action concerns $1,110,472 in credit and refund payments that the County will fully reimburse.
The agreement also allows property owners to redeem remaining participating-landowner credits for eligible units in the named tracts. Eligibility remains the property-specific question to ask.
Connect any fee or credit reference to the document for the property before treating a city payment amount as relevant to your purchase or sale.
As you plan your next step, you can also check your home’s value with the home value tool.
Common questions
What does the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan fee fund?
The road fee program funds roadway and intersection improvements needed to support new development in the foothill area of Orange County.
What is the $1,110,472 payment for?
The agreement resolves outstanding fee refund requests and concerns Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan fee credits involving certain properties within Portola North. The County will reimburse the City for the full amount.
Do the records establish a fee for buyers of existing homes?
The records do not say the fee is charged to buyers of existing homes, give a per-unit fee, or explain whether builders pass it to buyers.
Where can remaining participating-landowner credits be redeemed?
The agreement says property owners may redeem remaining credits for eligible units within Tract Nos. 17826, 17300, and 19138.
